Transit camp inmates stage protest fast

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]More than two thousand people went on a token protest fast in front of the Trincomalee town and gravets divisional secretary's office today demanding that they should be sent to Jaffna as soon as possible. Many of these have been languishing in transit camps in Trincomalee town and its suburbs for more than six months for a passage to Jaffna by ship.

The protestors vowed to continue the protest fast until the Sri Lankan government makes arrangements to restart the passenger ship service between Trincomalee and Jaffna.

The last passenger ship service to transport the people waiting for months to go back home to Jaffna was on January 21. The government cancelled the ship service for security reasons since then.

The protestors are residents of Jaffna who were displaced by the war and have spent months in state run transit camps in Vavuniya, Mannar and Trincomalee since they sought permission from the authorities to return home.